Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-08-10
MisteIlaueuns &eadiug.
HOW TO BE UNHAPPY.

M1sfellane11ts 8ead1n9.
HOW TO BE UNHAPPY.
Be suspicious. A suspicious spirit is un-
happy. One who is on the lookout for
slights and injuries is very apt to think he
finds them. We may all do things unin-
tentionalIy which, if noted with suspicious
eye, can easily be interpreted as intended
insults. A person full of business, or on a
hasty errand, or seeking to speak to some
one who would soon be out of reach, may
pass friends without recognizing them.
He may do so without the least intention
of doing it, or even knowing that he does
it. If we are on thelookout for sights we
may feel wounded by this cool treatment.
But how foolish it is for people to allow
their comfort to be disturbed, and their
friendship shaken through such suspicious.
People who are ready to interpret little
unpleasant things as intended insults are
in a hopeful way to be very unhappy.
Perhaps there are very few people in this
world, who, if their words and actions
were all carefully noted, would not do
many things without the least Thought OF
Wounding any ones feelings which could
be set down as intended injuries. Even
an act done out of kindness and good will
can be turned, by suspicious mind, into
something intended for evil.
Those who are ready to believe that
people do not like them, that they try to
take advantage of them, that they say un-
kind things about them, that they plot mis-
chief against them-people who are ready
to believe that others intended some slight
in that word, that look, or that omission,
can soon become unhappy. Begin to sus-
pect the best friend you have of evil de-
signs against you, and you will probably
not watch him many days until you see
something that will confirm your suspl-
cions and wound your heart. Even our
best friends are not thinking about us eve
ry moment; and if they were, and were
trying their utmost to make US happy, II
we were suspicious in our nature we can
misinterpret their kindness and wound
ourselves with their good intentions. II
one wants to make himself miserable, let
him cultivate this suspicious, Watchful
spirit, and he will be likely to succeed in
a little time in separating himself from
his friends, and making both himself and
them very unhappy.
Again, be jealous. Can any one be very
happy who is'constantly envious at the
prosperity of others? It is human nature
to desire to be foremost, to choose "the
uppermost rooms"
But how unhappy is he who can not bear,
without chafing, to see his nelghbor get
ting in advance of himself. Does some
companion in school move up to the head
of his class, and gather honors and ap-
plause? Then how unhappy those who
cannot rejoice with him in his prosperity
how miserable those, who, with the green
eye of jealousy and selfshness, grudge him
his honors. If they loved their neighbors
as themselves, they would not feel wretch
ed when a worthy companion gets honors
that do not fall to them.
Have not thousands of Office seekers
been made unhappy by spirit of jealousy
when the ballots have been counted and
they haye found that some competitor
has proved the public's favor instead OF
themselves. Instead Of rejoicing in a
neighbor's prosperity have they not gone
home almost as miserable as Ahab when
he could not pursuade Naboth to sell his
vineyard?
Perhaps there is no condition of life so
high or so low but that in it people may
be made unhappy by spirit of jealousy
Saul was king. Had he any opportuni-
ty for unhappiness in this direction? Read
how his spirit burned when the women
sang "Saul hath slain his thousands" )"
How unhappy these words made the king
on his throne. Such spirit will make
people unhappy in any position of life
where there are rivalries. A spirit that
cannot take pleasure in the success and
prosperity of others has an excellent op.
portunity for becoming miserable, for
people all around us are pushing forward.
They are trying to better their conditions.
They are trying to get the highest position
accessible to them. We are likely to be-
out-stripped in many race. All cannot
be at the top. Alas for the poor, unhappy,
snarling creatures who bite at the heels OF
their companions as they 60 past them.
But once more. Be idle. Give neither
mind nor hand occupation. If all idlers
were to 60 industriously to work, giving
employment to hands, feet and brains,
what depletion there would be in the
ranks of earth's miserable ones. Those
who are not industriously occupied, have
time to brood over little supposed wrongs,
time to let heated imagination conjure
up thousand distresses that have no eXis-
tence except in their. brains, and which
would never have gotten there had they
been actively employed in some cheerful
calling.
Constant and useful employment keeps
the mind occupied in healthy channels.
It does not have time to .eat itself up with
its own rust. 1t tends to create cheerful
ness. Therefore, if any one desires to be
unhappy let him be persistently idle. Let
him draw off his thoughts from useful oc-
cupations. Let him weaken his mental
power by disuse. Let him give time and
opportunity for disagreeable meditations.
Let him have time to meddle with the af-
fairs of his neighbors. Let him have time to
open his ears to gossip, to what others may
be saying about him. Let him have plen-
ty Of time to study over 1t all, and make
the worst of it. Give him nothing to do,
80 that he can develop and cultivate his
unhappiness, time to spend in the eXag-
geration of his misfortunes, and the wretch
edness of the world generally. If some
fresh grief comes to his heart, see that he
has plenty of time to analyze it, trace out
carefully its causes, see who is connected
with it, and is in any way responsible for
it. Do not allow him to forget it for an
hour by having some charitable work to
do for any other person in distress. Do
not allow him to be diverted. from his
grief by the reading of some useful book,
or the teaching of Sunday-school class,
or the watching by the side of some sick
bed. If he is to be made thoroughly un-
happy take away from him all useful en-
ployments and diversions, and let him
have all his time to mediate on his mis-
fortune in all its aggravations and compli-
cations. If he has heard anything un-
pleasant about himself, give him time to
20 over the neighborhood from one to
another, and try to find out all the parties
who are, or are supposed to be, connected
with the rumor. Let him hold them all
to strict account for every word they have
uttered which Intentionally or uninten-
tionally has touched his honor, and affect
ed his standing in the community.
Now, fno single one of these things will
succeed in making man unhappy, let